Chương 13: Chapter Twelve: What's The Mission?

The disembodied voice next to me echoed again, and I snapped back to my bleak and getting bleaker reality. Is it too late to give up? Hugging my knees to my chest, I dissected its threat and my next actions. Clearly, it's stubborn, and it has an undisclosed goal in mind. That message, creepy as it was, revealed next to nothing about itself and echoed it's not so subtle directive. Do as I say or else. Who wrote that thing anyway? It reads like an AI and a cartoon character had a squirrel together.

And the one next to me. It doesn't seem very talkative. Only asking what needs to be asked and never disclosing more than it should. Only the mission matters. It'll only answer questions relating to what it wants, then. Clicking on the rectangular box again, I skimmed the first few sentences of the 'mission' and cleared my throat, "How do I get a status window?" The Penguin raised its drooping head and whirred to life, "Simply say the words [Status Window] or [Status], and it will appear." As I thought.

It's only responding to questions that follow its previous line of answers. Fine, I'll do what it wants for now.

"Status window?" Another blue window appeared, and I studied the newest message with narrowed eyes. Can I ask for my glasses? The only thing that sucks about having my body back is the myopia I'd inherited. I mumbled under my breath as I read word for word.

"Read questions carefully... set responses... write your answer..." It's like a survey. The kind you get in your inbox and dismiss as spam from the census, only I can't click away this time. The questions are all based on my life experiences. Plural. So, not hard to answer, and thankfully not algebra. But still. Ghoulish, on their account. Biting my lip, I resolved to go through with it.

Raising my hand once more, I pressed start, clicked on the first answer choice, and waited the five seconds stipulated beforehand. The answer box gleamed a bright green once it determined I was sure of my answer, and I clicked the submit button below. A new question popped up, and I rolled my shoulders. Past life and my current life, identifying as Female. Determined at birth. Female. Age at time of death: Seventeen years to date. I paused on that question and lingered on it before pressing submit.

History of Heart Disease? None, to my knowledge. Impaired ability to represent oneself?

"What does this mean?" I pointed at the question, and the Penguin raised its head. Scanning the question before formulating a response.

"An individual who lacks the cognitive or communicational capacity to make informed decisions." The only options are [Yes] or [No] Would I even get anything out of lying to it? Sniffling under the conditions the temperature confused Penguin had imposed on my soul, I clicked on the right answer. [No] Under which conditions did you reach the end of your life? [Naturally] [Accidentally] [Violently] [Voluntarily] No confusion there.

From there, I entered my current name and all other incredibly personal requestion information into the format presented. The survey loaded for a beat, and I rocked on my heels, chin pressed into the gap between my knees. The darkness held its breath and I suffocated along with it. Holding my breath like that could trigger my demise. I answered every question right. Worrying my lip until it bled, I clutched my elbows and squeezed my legs tighter in a death grip. I didn't do anything wrong. Ding!

An audible alert similar to an oven rings and my spine straightens out. A typical status report found in games coagulates before me. [Miseria Noxcissa Duccanes.] [Preferred Name: Miseria] The screen loaded there, and the full name initially inputted dissolved. [Miseria] [Level: 1] [Race: High Dark Elf, Pure Blood Vampire,???] [Age: 364 Days] [Health: 64/200] [Strength: 3] [Vitality: 10] [Intelligence: 15] [Agility: 5] Knitting my brows at the question marks, I shook off the uneasy feeling.

I did nothing wrong; it went through, and the worst is over. Hopeful, I asked the warden again, "I'm done, right?" The penguin got up from its resting possessed ragdoll posture and advanced towards me on its steel flippers, "Almost done. Ask me about my functions." Then it stood there waiting like the freak it was, Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Ugh. Begrudgingly, I replied, "What are your functions?"

The penguin waddled towards the floating screen and swiped right. Then it started. Rigidly, it proceeded to wax lyrical with the precision of a drill sergeant about all of its accessible features. Dragging my fingers down my face, I listened with rapt attention, blinking every time the tears formed on my eyelashes and yawning involuntarily. Thankfully, it held no comments on my lack of decorum and continued preaching to the deaf and partially blind.

It took forever, but I eventually memorized all of them enough to repeat them back to it. An unskippable tutorial from hell! Successfully worn down, I pulled a strand of hair out and flicked it in the general direction of my recruiter, "Status screens, the skill tree, the mission board, the navigation menu, and the inventory. Correct?" The penguin waddled away and chirped jovial sounds. Detached from the entire situation, I dissociated to a time in which I'd never known the numb feeling filling my hollow chest.

The mission board was brought to my attention again, like an annoying ad. The Side Mission just below my line of sight is greyed out and has a total to its left side. [Progress] [1/1]"Does that mean I'm done now?"

"Correct! Congratulations Host! You completed your first official [Side Mission]! Prepare to receive your reward!" Prepare what? The mission board let off a little jingle, and the mission turned green before something heavy banged in the far beyond. For Christ's sake? Helpless to its theatrics, I continued rocking myself back into a place of zen.

"Congratulations! You received [Hidden Lineage] activation. One hundred [Experience Points] and one [Skill Point]. Congratulations!" Thanks, but no thanks.

"You have leveled up once!" I'm ecstatic.

"Status." I checked the blue screen and swiped down my list of attributes. Due to my level up, I'd received ten new status points, and my health was restored to full. A neat perk of leveling up. That's convenient. [Miseria Noxcissa Duccanes.] [Level: 2] [Race: High Dark Elf, Pure Blood Vampire, Godkiller.] [Age: 364 Days] [Health: 300/300] [Strength: 3] [Vitality: 10] [Intelligence: 15] [Agility: 5] Deeming it acceptable, I scrolled back up again to exit. Wait a second.

Not tired enough to dismiss my suspicion, I skimmed the contents until I caught on to the piece of text that had caught my attention the first time. Godkiller. Godkiller?! With my heart in my throat, I demanded answers from the stationary robot, "Why does that say Godkiller?!" It perked up again and leaned back to see what I was looking at, "You are of the rare hidden lineage [Godkiller]. Would you like to use your skill points and distribute your status points now?"

Choking on its blatant disregard for the situation at hand, my eyes bulged out of my head, "What?" It slowly explained to me, "This is your race. This is your skill points..." Cutting him off before he could start up the speech again, I yelled, "I heard you the first time!" A Godkiller?" Are you talking about the Godkillers? The heretics? The most hated race of people to ever exist?" My voice turns shrill as I blurt out, "The very extinct race?!"

"No." Oh thank—"The race is not extinct." Fuck! No, no, no. Not to me. Not right now. Pulling my hair again, I stared at the floor in shock as I recalled everything I'd read with my tired, spongy brain. One of the only mentions of the term 'Godkiller' was in a religious text practically untouched at the bottom of a shelf. Clearly neglected or placed intentionally in a place no one would look.

Compared to the boring geographical texts and political updates, I much preferred the book and stayed engrossed in it for days. To summarize a very long story. There was a big argument between this radical group and the main religion of the Fae a long time ago. The radical group was convinced that the Gods were exploiting the Fae and would descend upon the Lower Realm to destroy the Fae one day in the future. Typical Doomsdayers.

The Fae King at the time called them all heretics and banished them from all of his territories. The radical group then went to 'heaven' and killed a whole bunch of gods. Which was said to be impossible until they proved it wasn't. The gods were enraged by this and punished everyone equally. Guilt by association, basically. Sending down floods, plagues, and hurling everything they had at all mortals. Even the other kingdoms unrelated to the original conflict were affected.

The entire realm sought out, hunted these evil creatures down, and slaughtered them on altars. The Fae then offered the bodies of the traitors, tears in their eyes, in sacrifice to their gods to appease their rage. The gods reluctantly accepted the sacrifice and gave amnesty to the people. However, they promised that should such a slight occur again, they would have no mercy. The entirety of the Fae have lived in immense fear of the Godkillers for centuries.

Just saying the name to those who know of its meaning can have you flogged. Worse, heads will roll to stop the circulation of the subject ever again.

"You're telling me—!" The penguin chirped and raised its flippers in a shrug, "Yes. You're the last blood descendant of that group." At a loss for what to do, I screamed indignantly, "Take it back!" It cocked its head to the side, "Take what? Your reward? That's not possible. I would, however, recommend that you look at your skill tree." Skill tree. I looked over the stupid grey screen and grew frustrated when I couldn't find what it was referring to.

"What are you talking about?" The stupid penguin manipulated the screen and scrolled down until I saw a specific skill. Oh. Connecting the dots, I spelled it out, "You want me to pick this so I can conceal my identity."

"I would like to help you." Then take it back! Fuming, I spent the skill point on it. [Telekinesis. The manipulation of matter using only the mind. This skill set can also help shield the user from the scrutiny of others.] My status screen lit up due to the new addition. In a rush to correct the colossal mistake dumped on my lap, I badgered it, "How do I use it?"

"Tap the skill and direct it as you wish." Are you kidding me? Taking a deep breath, I imagined with all my heart that it wasn't true. After successfully washing my poor rain of the matter, I opened my aching eyes and used my index finger to erase the detestable word Godkiller from the screen. Smudge it up. Disappear! Go away! Oh. Oh my god! It's working! A white cloud appeared where the original word had been. Thankfully, it's gone, but the space it left behind didn't just go away.

Hidden behind the coverup was a disaster waiting to happen. Unless, I'm just paranoid and it is gone forever?

"So that will help me hide it, right? Or is it over?" Penguin flapped it's fins and pointed at the screen, "Only to those who are judged to be below the level cap [Lvl 100] should be able to detect the faint presence attached to you. As you level up the aura you'll disperse will gain more attributes indictive of your race and by then you'll either have to come up with another method of disguise. Otherwise…" It didn't finish, and I felt a shiver roll down my spine.

Otherwise I'll be put to the torch, you little demon. Depressing thoughts surged forth and my vision blackened. Why me? I had just gotten used to this fever dream and even vaguely enjoyed the benefits. I mean yeah my family is a little weird and my parents overly so. But food! Served hand and foot! Rich! Unable to stop myself, I begged without regard for my pride, "Why are you doing this to me? Please, what can I do to make this stop? You said happy, right? Do I look freaking happy?"

"Could you please specify what you mean?"

"Why are you helping me? What made you want to help me? Why am I even here?!" Its beak opened and closed, and it even mocked a normal person's confusion by putting its fin to its cheek in contemplation, "Why are you here? That's beyond my comprehension. I am helping you because I am your system admin. I am a piece of data. I have no desires or biases. You acquired my help after completing the hidden quest."

"What quest? I never did anything like that! Show me."